


Trying something new

by justAperidot



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop (Established relationship), Christmas Party, Everyone is alive and Michael and Janet are human., Fluff, Humor, Multi, Secret Santa, TGP Secret Santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 17:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13217766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justAperidot/pseuds/justAperidot
Summary: Tahani Al-Jamil is the gorgeous organizer of the Christmas charity gala Eleanor is forced to attend by her boss. Chidi, of course, tags along because what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn't? Eleanor thinks that Tahani is nothing but a snooty bench. Chidi thinks otherwise.





	Trying something new

**Author's Note:**

  * For [messybench](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=messybench).



> This is my Secret Santa gift for messybench (messybench.tumblr.com)! I hope you like it :D

"Fork!"

The word rang through the small apartment, reaching Chidi's ears as he gave his tie's knot one last tug in front of the living room mirror. He frowned. "Fork? Wha- Why- Fork?!" Gears spinning in his head, he turned towards the bedroom, ready to ask his girlfriend why she was screaming about silverware.

"Forking fork of your mother-forker!"

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Eleanor was using their bed for support, one broken Stiletto in her hand and grumbling under her breath. Chidi leaned against the doorframe and asked, "Are you seriously trying to loophole your way out of putting money in the Swear Jar?"

"Hey," Eleanor stood up straight and pointed the broken shoe at him, "the rules are "No cursing," right? So if I'm technically not cursing, I'm technically not breaking the rules." To complete her iron-clad argument, she gave her boyfriend a gleaming smile before heading towards the closet.

Chidi crossed his arms over his chest. "Well... _technically_ that statement is true, but when someone uses any sort of loophole, it's clear that they are avoiding to face the complete weight of their responsibilities." A chuckle escaped him and he shook his head softly. "Why am I arguing about this? I don't care. Loophole curse words don't bother me like real curse words do, and let's be honest, you need to curse like normal people need to breathe."

Eleanor's search for another pair of shoes stopped abruptly. She poked her head out of the closet and stared at Chidi. "You don't care," she began slowly, "about responsibilities not being faced? What have I _done_ to you?"

All Chidi could do was continue laughing. He headed back to the living room saying, "Are you almost done? I don't want you to be late for your first charity gala."

Minutes later, they were both walking down the stairs to the Uber waiting outside. "Let's go punch this charity right in the _face_!"

"A bit, uh, violent but good energy, though."

"Thanks, babe."

 

***

 

"Look at all these fancy shmancy people, Chids. I'm like an _alien_ in here. I can't believe my boss personally asked me to be here; he knows what I'm like." As if to prove her point, Eleanor grabbed two cups from a passing waiter. Chidi took an educated guess and decided that neither of them was for him. "Just look at this. These shrimp are in a cup and they're wearing Santa hats. _Tiny_ _Santa Claus hats for shrimp_!" She shook one of the pink creatures in Chidi's face. "Who organizes these things?"

"Eeeeeeleanor!" Suddenly, there was a hand on Chidi's shoulder and a mess of white hair between him and his girlfriend. "Good to see you could make it, even if barely on time. Are you having fun? I hope you're having fun. I have a teensy favor to ask you, if you don't mind. Of course you don't mind. There was supposed to be a huge "Happy Holidays!" banner right over the main stairwell, but as you can see, it's not there. Janet says she definitely ordered it, so if you could just find Tahani"”I hired her to organize this whole thing"”and ask her where my banner is, that would be great."

Chidi didn't have to see Eleanor's face to know that she was _not_ happy with this impromptu task. He also knew she was lying through her teeth when she said, "Yeah, sure. I'd love to help, boss-man."

Her boss (Michael, if Chidi remembered correctly) patted both their shoulders and _finally_ moved out of their personal space. "Excellent! I knew I could count on you. But please make sure it says "Happy Holidays!" and not something else. That's the fun one. No one says anything when they see a "Merry Christmas!" banner, but with a "Happy Holidays!" banner... Oh, the "I'm so offended because you wrote "holidays" instead of "Christmas" and therefore you are disrespecting this sacred holiday of a religion I only half practice" debates are just so delicious." He ran off, probably to find someone to argue with even before the banner was hung.

Eleanor scoffed. "Yeah. Sure. Do you need anything else, sir? A massage? It would be my pleasure, sir." She turned towards Chidi, rolling her eyes. "If it ain't business hours, he ain't the boss of me. I am not– oh, come on, Chids. Don't give me that look."

"I am not giving you any look."

"Yeah, you are. You're going all "But being nice, Eleanor! And helping people, Eleanor!" like you always do."

"I am literally just standing here, completely silent, with a blank expression."

"Ugh, I hate you so much sometimes." Eleanor placed her two shrimp cups on the closest table. "Let's go find this _Tahani_."

 

***

 

"I am _so_ glad you are enjoying this little get-together I put, well, _together_." The woman threw her head back in an elegant arc and laughed. The circle of admirers that had formed around her laughed, too.

It had been easy to find Tahani. Everyone they asked had responded, "Oh, you haven't met her yet? She's just so wonderful. I last saw her..." The last person had pointed them in the direction of the fountain by one of the walls, and lo and behold, there she was.

"Look at that," Eleanor muttered. "I thought party organizers were all supposed to be stressed, middle-aged ladies with an ugly ponytail who run around like little stressed mice and start yelling-slash-crying when they see you throw up on top of their clipboard and wipe your face with their silk scarf–"

Chidi frowned. "What?"

"–not tall, pretentious, British wet dreams in flowing dresses." She clasped a confident hand around Chidi's sweaty one. "C'mon. Let's break up her little fan club."

Eleanor led the way, pushing people aside, and Chidi trailed behind, apologizing to each and every one of them. Chidi hoped that his girlfriend would have the common decency to wait for Tahani to finish her anecdote before _privately_ letting her know of the missing banner-a small mistake in her otherwise flawless party.

"–and that's when my good friend _Carrie_ , may she rest in peace, burst in, fuming because she had also learnt how uncivilized this gentleman was, and told me in her usual blunt manner–"

"Uh, excuse me? Tahani?"

Chidi should learn not to hope too much.

Tahani, clearly a social butterfly who knew it was not wise to lose her composure while surrounded by admirers, merely smiled. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Eleanor, clearly someone who didn't care about composure or social norms or _being a decent person for once_ , took a step forwards, still dragging an embarrassed Chidi behind her. "Yeah, uh, I don't mean to expose you or anything..." she began.

"Yes, you do," Chidi whispered. "You are doing this on purpose. You could've taken her aside and-" He stopped with a grimace of pain as Eleanor squeezed his hand as hard as she could.

"... and the party is... pretty cool, I guess, but, um, you forgot the banner and it was _kind_ of a big deal, you know?" Eleanor shrugged exaggeratedly and pressed her lips into a diagonal line.

"Oh." Tahani's lips (lush and painted a bright pink and oh no why was Chidi noticing _that_ ) were a perfectly round "o". She grabbed Eleanor by the shoulders, and Eleanor shrunk away from the touch. "Oh, my. I am so terribly sorry. I'll see to it immediately." She gave her crowd of fans a sweeping glance and said with only a slight tremor in her voice, "Please, continue enjoying the party. I'll be right back." She smiled at Chidi as she walked away, but Chidi _did not notice that_. Or at least he tried not to notice it. Because he had a girlfriend. Who he loved. A lot. And their relationship-

"Ugh, what a bitch."

Eleanor's voice made Chidi startle, as if she could read Chidi's thoughts or interpret something from his face. She misread his reaction, though, and smiled sheepishly.

"Right. Sorry, babe. What a _bench_." She shook her head and faked a British accent, "Oh, my parties, like my gorgeous, brown skin, are _perfect_. What do you mean, a mistake? I don't know that word. When you're sizzling hot like me you don't need to know many words; people are instantly hypnotized by my long legs and my sexy curves and my soft, soft hands..." Absently, Eleanor touched brushed a hand over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on some point in the horizon.

Chidi just rolled his eyes. "Wow. If I didn't know you, I'd say this was your first time being attracted to a woman."

This immediately broke Eleanor out of her daydream of "soft, soft hands". "Attra-?!" She opened and closed her mouth. "Okay. Sure. You know what, smarty-pants? I'll admit that. She's hot, and I'd tap that. But that's just the downstairs brain speaking. She's also an insufferable _bench_ and I would never, in my right mind, spend more than a _second_ alone with her."

"She was nothing but nice to you, Eleanor."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes, her face suddenly really close to Chidi's. "Yeah. And I see right through that act. And I need more shrimp."

Chidi sighed and followed her.

 

***

 

Eleanor needed more shrimp, and Chidi needed a bathroom.

He strayed away from the impressive ballroom, hoping that he would find the bathroom himself without having to go through the ordeal of asking someone.

"What do you mean, you packed the banner with the Cézanne? The banner was for the party and the Cézanne was for my _home_. I told you so. _Repeatedly_." Tahani was sitting on an ornate bench in one of the empty side rooms that Chidi was exploring. She tapped her foot anxiously as the person on the other end of the phone answered. "Ugly? _Ugly_?! How _dare_ you say that it's ugly– Jason! Just– Just bring it. Please." She hung up with a heavy sigh.

Chidi cleared his throat awkwardly. "Everything alright?"

Tahani immediately straightened her back and smiled, although it didn't really reach her eyes. Always the social butterfly. "Hello. Didn't see you there. I–" Her smiled faltered. "The delivery boy mixed up my personal items with something for the party. He's really nice, but he is sometimes..." She paused, searching for the right word.

"Distracted?"

"Dumb."

"Oh."

"He... He called an invaluable Cézanne _ugly_." Tahani shuddered. "And apparently, the secretary who delivered the banner was "so cute" that he "didn't even pay attention, _dawg_.""

Chidi didn't know what made him laugh: the air-quotes or the forced slang. Either way, his laugh seemed to cheer Tahani up. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, I am so jealous because you are going to have an invaluable Cézanne _in your home_."

"That does make me feel better." This time, Tahani's smile was more genuine. "And I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Tahani." She presented a manicured hand which Chidi shook.

"Chidi."

"Are you with the big company?"

"No, that would be Eleanor, my girlfriend. She's, uh, she's the one that publicly exposed you with the whole banner thing. She's usually nicer except when... well, when she feels like being mean." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Tahani made a dismissing gesture with her hand. "No worries. Believe me, I've handled worse." She stood up and straightened her dress. "Well. Time to go back to the party. Join me?"

"Actually... Um, do you happen to know where I can find a bathroom?"

 

***

 

"We should date her."

Eleanor turned to look at him with a martini olive in her mouth. "Huh?"

"Tahani. I think we should date her."

Eleanor swallowed the olive and frowned. "First of all, no. And second of all, you're being really decisive about this. You're creeping me out, babe."

Chidi took the stool next to his girlfriend on the bar. "Listen, I thought about it in the bathroom–"

"Oh-kay..."

"–and I think we should try it. We already discussed having a more open relationship, and this is our chance to give it a try. She's really nice and, like you said, smoking hot."

"She's a bench, Chids."

"No, she's not, Eleanor. And you know it."

With her eyes on her martini, Eleanor mumbled. "She stopped by a while ago and told me I had an amazing boyfriend and beautiful eyes. I mean, I already knew all of that, but it's nice to hear it from someone who isn't the amazing boyfriend who compliments me a thousand times a day."

Chidi tangled their hands together. "I don't know why I have such a good feeling about her, but it just feels _right_. And we both agreed that an open relationship was the best option for us."

Eleanor looked at him with a soft smile. "We _did_ say that."

Chidi pressed a quick kiss to his girlfriend's lips. "So... what do you say? Do we go for it?"

"Yeah. I'm in." She stood up and checked her reflection on the bar's polished surface. "Let's go ask that sexy, sexy giraffe if she'll join us for dinner someday."

Chidi's throat suddenly felt really dry. "Right now?" he squeaked.

"Yeah, Chids. Right now."

"Maybe we should wait–"

"No, no, no." Eleanor pulled him to his feet and grabbed his hand firmly. "C'mon, you sweaty nerd. Let me show you how to ask a hot girl out."


End file.
